Suggested DBT Skills Group Schedule

Hello to all of the skills group leaders out there! With the new materials published recently, many skills group leaders are finding it challenging to find a workable schedule for their skills groups. This page is a resource outlining a possible schedule, drawing from Linehan's description in the new materials. The main point here is that you are not expected to get through all of the materials in each module! The new materials include many handouts and worksheets that may or may not be a good fit for your group. You might incorporate some of them some of the time, or you might only use them in individual work with clients. Here's the schedule for group that Linehan proposes.

Excerpted or Adapted from DBT Skills Training Handouts and Worksheets, Second Edition, by Marsha M. Linehan.

TABLE 2.2. Standard Core DBT Skills

Training Schedule: Cycling Twice through All Modules over 12 Months

Orientation + Mindfulness module: 2 weeks

Interpersonal Effectiveness module: 5 weeks

Orientation + Mindfulness module: 2 weeks

Emotion Regulation module: 7 weeks

Orientation + Mindfulness module: 2 weeks

Distress Tolerance module: 6 weeks

This model enables you to move through all modules in 24 weeks, or about 6 months. Going through these modules twice gives you 48 weeks, which works for a full year when you factor in vacations and holidays.

Here is a more detailed schedule as an example for how you might structure a group. Note that many optional handouts are included in this schedule; it will probably not be possible to get through all of the handouts listed for some of these classes! Also, please remember that the groups that Linehan runs are 2.5 hours long, so she will be able to cover more material in her groups than we probably will. At the same time, please note that the groups listed on this site have all committed to meeting for at least 90 minutes!

Schedule 1: 24 Weeks, Linehan Standard Adult DBT Skills Training

Repeated at the start of each module: 2 Weeks Orientation, Mindfulness Skills